1. Field of Invention
The present invention generally relates to cycle exercisers and recumbent exercisers for physical therapy and/or general exercise as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,030, and more particularly, to the recumbent exercise machines described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,267,639 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,361,479, which provides for the exercising and conditioning of major muscle groups in addition to cardiovascular conditioning. In doing so, the present invention includes lower body exercising coordinated with the upper body exercising.
2. Description of the Problem
In the United States of America today, approximately two thirds of the population is considered obese. In addition to this statistic, there are approximately 75 million “Baby Boomers”, people born between 1946 and 1964 in this country today. Both obese individuals and aging or elderly individuals have special needs when it comes to exercising or physical therapy. Often, the individuals have limited mobility, health and or age related illnesses, decreased ranges of appendage movement, low endurance and the need for therapy with respect to more than one particular movement or muscle group. Many of the problems which face these two groups, which in many cases overlap include bad knees, hips, Diabetes, Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, and Stroke. All of these issues must be taken into consideration when designing and providing exercise and physical therapy equipment for their use. Another extremely important element of design and function must be comfort, especially for obese people. Since duration is one of the essential components of any rehabilitation or exercise program, the participant must be able to perform the exercises in a comfortable and secure environment. Otherwise the duration or time spent exercising will be limited. No exercise or rehabilitation machine on the market today effectively addresses the specific comfort needs of an individual weighing in excess of 250-300 pounds. In addition, people with equilibrium issues due to Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease must be secured on the equipment to prevent loss of balance and falling off of the machine. Furthermore, people who exercise for its many health benefits, and not specifically for rehabilitation purposes, typically desire equipment which is challenging, safe, effective, comfortable, and provides a benefit to a multiple number of muscle groups so that a total body workout is achieved in a relatively short period of time. When the equipment is for home use, other important considerations include durability and cost.
3. Description of the Prior Art
Exercise physiologists have concluded after many years of research that the most effective type of aerobic or cardiovascular exercise involves the use of both the upper and lower body extremities at the same time. There are several types and varieties of physical therapy and exercise equipment available on the market today for both clinical and home use which function accordingly. Examples include the Cycle Exerciser described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,030, the Recumbent Total Body Exerciser described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,361,479 and the Compound Bicycle Exercising Device described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,267,639.
Each of these types of machines, however, has certain limitations concerning the ease of use, range of motion, safety, comfort, and the muscle groups worked. Let's first address the multiple limitations of the Cycle Exerciser type of machine. The first limitation of the cycle exerciser is that the seat is a typically narrow saddle seat positioned above a pair of rotatable pedals having a fixed range of motion. The rotation of the pedals is resisted by a brake or other resistance mechanism. The user is required to lean forward to hold onto a set of handles, which in this case are moveable. In order to use the Cycle Exerciser, the user must be capable of climbing up onto the narrow saddle seat and must possess sufficient strength, balance, and coordination to maintain themselves on the narrow seat while pedaling over a fixed range of motion and manipulating the handles. Often the elderly, overweight, obese, or physical therapy patient cannot use the cycle exerciser because of the above requirements and further because they require constant supervision by the physical therapist to prevent possible injury to the patient upon collapse or loss of balance. In many cases even the most physically fit individual after a short period of time rocking back and forth on the narrow saddle seat due to the circular movement of the legs causes a high degree of discomfort to the posterior of the user thereby reducing the duration of time for exercise. Even professional and amateur cyclist compensate for this discomfort by wearing specially designed shorts with additional padding in the groin area.
As can be seen from the above discussion, there is the need for an apparatus which allows the user to easily get on and off of the apparatus with or without assistance. Furthermore, the apparatus should have a high degree of stability and safety for the user so that the user can operate the machine without constant attention or supervision. Additionally, the apparatus should be adjustable to accommodate users of significantly different sizes and physical conditions while still providing a comfortable environment for exercise or therapy
The Recumbent Total Body Exerciser and the Compound Bicycle Exercising Device address many of the limitations described above with regard to the Cycle Exerciser in that it allows an overweight or physically challenged individual to more easily get on and off of the machine. However all recumbent machines on the market today are designed to provide a reasonably comfortable environment for an individual that is only somewhat overweigh or in good physical condition. The approximate width of the bucket type seat is usually around 24 inches and the back support is not adjustable. A user weighing in excess of 250-300 pounds cannot sit comfortably for any length of time on the seat and once again the duration of time for exercise or rehabilitation becomes limited. Another limitation of the Recumbent Total Exerciser, the Compound Bicycle Exercising Device and the Cycle Exerciser is the movement or range of motion of the arms or handlebars of the machines. Since the handlebars of these types of machines, operate from a pivot point where the handlebar is attached to the frame, the mechanically linked machines have only a rectilinear/arching arm motion in conjunction with various types of leg motion. Many times in the rehabilitation of shoulder joint injuries, rectilinear/arching motion alone is not sufficient for rehabilitation purposes. Often both linear and circular range of motion is necessary for the complete rehabilitation of the injured shoulder joint. Since the shoulder join operates and functions on all three planes, all ranges of motion, rectilinear/arching, linear, and circular should be provided by the exercising or physical therapy machine.
The application of resistance during the use of the exercise machine is also very important. Most of the exercise and physical therapy machines on the market today, including recumbent bicycles, ellipticals, and stair steppers utilize magnetic resistance. Magnetic resistance devices vary the resistance of the exercise machine through the interaction of a magnetic field from a magnet or array of magnets generating eddy currents in a material. The strength of the interaction is a function of the amount of magnetic flux interacting with the material, the greater the amount of magnetic flux interaction, the stronger the magnetic force. This relationship can be used to vary the resistance on a spinning wheel of the kind used in exercise machines. These present magnetic resistance devices do not include predictable fixed linear positioning systems which allow proportional step adjustments in the resistance. Limitations of magnetic resistance are two fold. One, upon initially establishing the resistance level the user has two choices. The user can either set the machine for a constant level of resistance or he or she can select a variable program. If when using the constant level of resistance, the user becomes fatigued, he must remove his hands from the handlebars to readjust the level on the console. If the rider has equilibrium issues the risk of losing one's balance is enhanced. If the variable program is selected, the change in level of resistance is automatic whether or not the user's fatigue level is commensurate to the resistance level.
The resistance mechanism used in the Cycle Exerciser is advantageous in that a vaned wheel mounted on a frame and arranged to absorb energy by movement of the broad surfaces of the vanes against the surrounding body of air. This enables the resistance to be exponential, in that the harder the user pushes and pulls the handlebars and pedals, the more the resistance increases.
Vice versa, when the user becomes fatigued, the amount of energy expended pushing and pulling on the handlebars and pedals decreases as does the resistance, thereby automatically adjusting the resistance level to the fatigue level of the user. Not only is this excellent conditioning of the muscles from an endurance standpoint, it is inherently much more beneficial and safer for a physical therapy patient in that the injured body component is not forced into a situation of handling a load greater than it is capable without risk of injury. The limitation of this type of resistance however is that if the user wants to increase the level of resistance for strengthening purposes, by mechanically or electronically changing the gear ratio of the apparatus, and thus the load, the option is unavailable.